Check out this article from apublicdefender.com. I mean, it is Texas, but come on. The Public Defender’s office is clearly not protecting the very people they claim to zealously represent. I guess now it’s up to the ACLU or some generous private attorney willing to take on the system? Clearly this is a systematic way to […]
Obama Commuting Unjust Crack Sentences
The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 reduced the disparity between the amount of crack cocaine and powder cocaine needed to trigger certain United States federal criminal penalties from a 100:1 ratio to an 18:1 ratio and eliminated the five-year mandatory minimum sentence for simple possession of crack cocaine, among other provisions. This disparity was a product […]
“Our Credibility Is Important”
“Our credibility is important,” said Police Chief Steve Conrad about the Louisville Metro Police Department, referring to a new policy which penalizes (up to and including termination) officers who are found to be untruthful. That’s right, folks, LMPD is just now starting to address law enforcement personnel who lie. It is shocking that a police […]
The Jury Has Spoken…
… And clearly this Jefferson County jury followed the law, but also sent a message about the shifting public opinion of gay marriage. Dominique James (represented by Annie O’Connell) and Maurice Blanchard (represented by Ted Shouse) are a homosexual couple who wanted to obtain a marriage license from the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office. When they […]
State-Sanctioned Murder
Texas and other states which employ capital punishment are struggling to obtain the drugs needed for lethal injections. Progressive (and benevolent) European-based drug manufacturers have banned U.S. prisons from using their drugs in executions, a move that should be applauded. Death penalty states are now experimenting with new drug cocktails for the state-sanctioned murders, with […]
Women Lawyers Association
I was sworn in today as a member of the 2014 board of the Women Lawyers Association of Jefferson County by Circuit Court Judge Audra Eckerle, and I’m really looking forward to a fun year with some fabulous women! The annual meeting was held today during the lunch hour at The Galt House, and it […]
Happy Halloween
Have fun tonight and watch out for the kiddos trick-or-treating. And if you get arrested, you know who to call… and no, it’s not Ghostbusters.
Refusing to Cooperate
It is not unusual for people to refuse to cooperate with police investigations of criminal activity; even crime victims sometimes don’t want to talk to law enforcement. This story out of Seattle gives a whole new meaning to refusing to cooperate with an investigation…
Wait… This is a Murder Trial?
Last week, a juror in Mississippi was held in contempt of court, fined $100, and jailed for two days after she fell asleep during jury selection and then did not return for the remaining voir dire after the lunch break. I’m not sure what angered the judge the most, but I’ve seen jurors fall asleep […]
Guns & Domestic Violence
Domestic violence situations can be dangerous not just for the victim of the attack. This article discusses attacks on law enforcement who respond to these calls. The story of a Kentucky sheriff who was murdered 40 years after he arrested someone following a domestic incident is incredibly disturbing, and close to home. The federal government […]